title: Pharmacokinetics of mefloquine in combination with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and primaquine in male Thai patients with falciparum malaria.
abstract: The pharmacokinetics of mefloquine (M) were studied in 59 male Thai patients with falciparum malaria. Mefloquine was administered alone (750 mg orally; group 1), or with primaquine (PQ, 45 mg; group 2), or in combination with sulfadoxine (1.5 g) + pyrimethamine (75 mg) (MSP; group 3), or as MSP + PQ (group 4). All patients in groups 1, 2 and 4 initially responded to treatment, but two patients from group 1 had RI recrudescent infections. One patient in group 3 failed to respond to treatment and was considered to have RII resistance, while a further patient from this group had RI recrudescence. The pharmacokinetic parameters for group 1 and group 3 were not significantly different. Co-administration of primaquine alone had no significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of mefloquine, but there was a statistically significant decrease in the terminal elimination half-life of mefloquine for group 4 relative to that for group 3.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karbwang
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Back
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bunnag
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Breckenridge
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D015767:Mefloquine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects; D011319:Primaquine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011739:Pyrimethamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013413:Sulfadoxine / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D013413:Sulfadoxine; D011319:Primaquine; D015767:Mefloquine; D011739:Pyrimethamine